Attacks targeting non-structured data on systems continue to occur. Attackers repeatedly compromise information on corporate, government, and personal computers despite new advances in computer security such as firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and other technologies. The underlying problem is that the data is not kept in a secure manner; and only by securing the data at the lowest level possible can attacks against data be stopped.
Other data storage solutions seek to store massive amounts of data in the most accessible manner possible, often foregoing security measures for sake of convenience, ease of use, or accessibility. Network attached storage, local storage, and file system connected data storage methods are dependent on the operating system to provide users access to their files. This dependence introduces another, significant, attack vector that can be exploited to compromise data. Other methods and tools do not store data in a secure format, leaving the data open to be compromised through attacks against the storage medium itself.
Data security and data integrity are integral to network and computer security. Although numerous systems have been created to address these factors, data security breaches continue to occur.